Heavy duty weight lifting mats

[MMA81790]

Where is the best place to get rubber mats for a home gym setup? Something that is strong enough to support a power cage, deadlifts, power cleans, etc.

I've been looking at this one from dicks sporting goods http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...ductId=3550319 kind of pricey and its 3/8 inch. Would that be durable enough to support heavy deadlifts?

[Kodokan]

horse stall mats from a local tack & feed store...or else tractor supply company. 4'x6'x3/4" rubber meant for horses and deadlifting...$50 or less a pop, and you can't beat it unless you're looking for something professional for an interior space.

[ndmike99]

Tractor Supply has cheap stall mats which are thicker and stronger than the ones at Dicks. I purchases the interlocking Gorilla Mats and love them:

http://www.buytack.com/products-ranch/sfp/gorilla.htm

[MMA81790]

Awesome guys. Didn't even think to check at tractor supply, theres one just down the road from me.

[ndmike99]

Awesome guys. Didn't even think to check at tractor supply, theres one just down the road from me.

Here is what you are looking for if they ask. I would print this off and if your local store is asking more try to get them to match it:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/rubber-...-6-ft--2219003

[bpatel82]

How about this one? Fitness Gear 24 Square Foot Floor Guard - 3/4" Thick

(www) dot
dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3970346&cp=4406646.4413986.441 7719.4417800.4417805#green

I am thinking to purchase one for myself. But it will go inside a bedroom. So I want something decent looking.

[ffrink]

Awesome guys. Didn't even think to check at tractor supply, theres one just down the road from me.

If you get them at Tractor Supply, unload them outside for a week or two and spread them out if you have the roomto let them air out. I bought two 4 x 6 mats at TracSupply in late November and they still give off a mild odor.

[DoubleC]

Did anyone take advantage of the stall mat sale at Tractor Supply on Black Friday? I purchased (4) 4x6 stallmats for $25 each. They were out of stock, but gave us a raincheck. Picked them up a few weeks ago. I wish I had bought more.

[ffrink]

Did anyone take advantage of the stall mat sale at Tractor Supply on Black Friday? I purchased (4) 4x6 stallmats for $25 each. They were out of stock, but gave us a raincheck. Picked them up a few weeks ago. I wish I had bought more.

That is where I got mine. They have the Black Friday sale every year and maybe check after Xmas too.

[MMA81790]

If you get them at Tractor Supply, unload them outside for a week or two and spread them out if you have the roomto let them air out. I bought two 4 x 6 mats at TracSupply in late November and they still give off a mild odor.

Alright thanks for the tip. I'm about to get two of them as well.

[KBKB]

Alright thanks for the tip. I'm about to get two of them as well.

If it's cold where you live right now, I'm not sure that leaving them outside will make much of a difference. I live near Phoenix and bought two mats early in the year when it was still cool (for us anyway) and two more later on as it was starting to get warm. I left each set of mats outside for about the same length of time, but the ones that got more sun (and heat) didn't smell much at all when we brought them in. Not so for the mats that we left out in cooler conditions.

That said, I was also more aggressive with cleaning the latter two mats; it could be that the extra cleaning they got made them less odiferous.

[MMA81790]

Bumping thread. Alright so I ended up buying the horse stall mats from tractor supply. They are like 7/8 inch thick so a lot of cushion, maybe to much in my case. I have the mat on top of carpet in my living room so while doing squats/deadlifts the mat sinks in some and I can't get a proper push off the heels like you could on a hard surface. I was thinking of getting some thick wood to put down inside my squat rack to create a harder surface to press off of. Or maybe put wood underneath of the mat and rack..any ideas would be helpful.

Also, where is a reliable place to buy a 45lb barbell?

[KBKB]

Bumping thread. Alright so I ended up buying the horse stall mats from tractor supply. They are like 7/8 inch thick so a lot of cushion, maybe to much in my case. I have the mat on top of carpet in my living room so while doing squats/deadlifts the mat sinks in some and I can't get a proper push off the heels like you could on a hard surface. I was thinking of getting some thick wood to put down inside my squat rack to create a harder surface to press off of. Or maybe put wood underneath of the mat and rack..any ideas would be helpful.

If you have a concrete sidewalk, driveway, or patio that you can put the mat on for an experiment, do so and then do a deadlift to see how it feels. My guess is that the mat is not compressing all that much, but it is the carpet which is compressing instead. However, you should try this experiment (if possible) to convince yourself that it's not the mat which is compressing.

If you like the feeling of the mat over concrete, then get a 3/4" piece of plywood or OSB to put underneath the mat. If the mat still feels too cushy even over concrete, then your platform will need to consist of wood in the center where you stand and stall mat at the sides. I think you'll be better off if you have at least one layer of plywood underneath everything.

Finally, if you've had the mat in place over the carpet for only a short time, you might try lifting with it for a week to see if it settles in over time. If not, see above.

Also, where is a reliable place to buy a 45lb barbell?

How much are you looking to spend?

[MMA81790]

If you have a concrete sidewalk, driveway, or patio that you can put the mat on for an experiment, do so and then do a deadlift to see how it feels. My guess is that the mat is not compressing all that much, but it is the carpet which is compressing instead. However, you should try this experiment (if possible) to convince yourself that it's not the mat which is compressing.

If you like the feeling of the mat over concrete, then get a 3/4" piece of plywood or OSB to put underneath the mat. If the mat still feels too cushy even over concrete, then your platform will need to consist of wood in the center where you stand and stall mat at the sides. I think you'll be better off if you have at least one layer of plywood underneath everything.

Finally, if you've had the mat in place over the carpet for only a short time, you might try lifting with it for a week to see if it settles in over time. If not, see above.



How much are you looking to spend?

Unfortunately I can't try that, but yes I think it's due to the carpet compressing. How much could you get 3/4" plywood for from lowes/home depot?

And for the barbell, as cheap as I could get it but with it still being a good bar. How much do the brown/black ones you typically find in gyms run?

[KBKB]

Unfortunately I can't try that, but yes I think it's due to the carpet compressing. How much could you get 3/4" plywood for from lowes/home depot?

At my local Home Depot, a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" oak or birch plywood costs about $40. Both oak and birch are hardwoods. I haven't priced other types of plywood, but I would expect it to be somewhat less expensive.

[twodog]

I got 3/4" OSB underlayment at Lowe's for $13/ sheet, and it works like a charm.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_12218-99899-...7C1&facetInfo=